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Letter to the editor

A friend with an eye for antiques

By MARTY CLEAR Times Correspondent
Published November 2, 2007

PALMA CEIA - It has been anything but business as usual at A La Maison.

"All last week and most of this week, people have been coming in and just crying," said Carol Timberlake, now the sole owner of the popular South Tampa antique shop.

Her business partner, Kevin McLeod, passed away on Oct. 16, after a sudden illness. He was 47.

The antique store was Mr. McLeod's passion, but he was actually a vital part of two businesses. He was also co-owner of Pondscapes with Michael Jones, his life partner.

"Ponds were my hobby and they became my career," Jones said. "Antiques were his hobby and they became his career. But he learned everything about my business. I know nothing about antiques."

On Friday, Oct. 12, Mr. McLeod had gone out to dinner with Jones. On Saturday he said he wasn't feeling well, but he still went to work at A La Maison.

"I got a call from his store Saturday afternoon that he was coughing up blood," Jones said. "I took him to the hospital, and on Monday I signed the papers saying not to take any heroic measures. He died on Tuesday."

The exact cause of the internal bleeding that led to Mr. McLeod's death has not been determined.

Jones started Pondscapes, which designs and builds ponds and sells fountains, in the 1990s. Jones met Mr. McLeod in Atlanta in 1990, when both were on business trips. They dated for a year before Mr. McLeod moved to Tampa and went to work at Pondscapes.

"We were 24/7," Jones aid. "We played together, we went to the gym together, we worked together. We lived together. We talked about work constantly, and most of our friends were clients who became friends. There was no line between our work and our private lives."

Mr. McLeod has always loved French antiques and he made regular trips to Paris to bring back furniture, which he sold at a booth in an antiques mall in Pinellas County.

It was there that he met Timberlake, who had a neighboring booth and shared his interest in French antiques.

Within a few years, both owned their own stores, across from each other on Bay to Bay Boulevard. Timberlake and her business partner ran Chez Orleans, while Mr. McLeod's store was called Beaucoup.

Eventually, they combined their businesses into one building.

"There was one entrance and one credit card machine but two names," Timberlake said. "It was pretty confusing for people."

When her original business partner retired about a year ago, Timberlake and Mr. McLeod made their businesses one entity called A La Maison.

"It's been a rough year," Timberlake said. "I lost twopartners."

Timberlake and Mr. McLeod were the only staff at A LaMaison.

"We were adamant that one of the owners should be here at all times," Timberlake said. "People want to meet the person they're buying from."

Still, business will go on, she said.

"I'm going to move ahead with the plans Kevin and I made," Timberlake said. "I can't think of any better way to honor Kevin than to see his plans through."

There are some remodeling and redecorating projects in the works, she said, and a new sign for the front of the building.

But first, A La Maison, 4239 Bay to Bay Blvd., will be the site of a celebration of Mr. McLeod's life at 7 p.m. Saturday. Anyone who knew Mr. McLeod is encouraged to attend.

Timberlake will run A La Maison alone. Mr. McLeod, she said, was irreplaceable.

"I don't want another partner," she said. "I've already had the best."

He is survived by two sisters, Rebecca Fisher and Cathy Linn.

[Last modified November 1, 2007, 07:17:23]